Cocaine is one of the most used drugs in the world and, in fact, today it is relatively normalized in social circles that have nothing to do with the contexts of marginality in which we usually think when dealing with the issue of substances. addictive In fact, Spain is currently the European country in which the most cocaine is consumed.
But despite its popularity, this psychostimulant has very negative effects on both the physical and psychological health of the person. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects that this substance has on the body and mind of people and the implications of its continued consumption for relatively long periods.
What are the main long-term effects of cocaine addiction?
In recent decades, cocaine consumption is increasing in Western countries and consumers are becoming younger, which constitutes a true public health problem that is perpetuated due to the social dynamics of normalization and imitation. In fact, in some social environments the use of this drug has been romanticized, which becomes seen as another component of a lifestyle based on sacrifice and the need to give the most of oneself to achieve all the professional goals that one sets for oneself.
But beyond this self-interested way of looking at the consumption of a very harmful drug, the reality is that cocaine produces significant problems, some of which are underestimated simply because they develop on a long-term time scale and, therefore, are not They are taken into account.
Below we briefly present the main long-term effects of continued cocaine use.
1. Insomnia
Chronic insomnia and sleeping problems are usually one of the main symptoms shown by people who consume cocaine continuously for several months or years.
This difficulty sleeping is related to the activating effects that the drug has on the body, which develops in the person a continued feeling of euphoria and nervous hyperactivation.
2. Harmful eating patterns
The appetite of people who have been using cocaine for a long time is expressed in an altered way and dominated by impulsiveness something that can cause real long-term health problems, usually more related to malnutrition than malnutrition.
3. Cardiovascular disorders
For several decades, medical science has been studying in detail the effects of widespread cocaine use on people’s cardiovascular health.
It is well known that there are several cardiovascular diseases associated with cocaine use and these types of alterations usually severely affect a person’s health and even shorten their longevity due to the wear and tear of the blood vessel and spinal tissues. heart.
Some of the most common cardiovascular alterations caused by cocaine are cardiomyopathy, acute coronary syndrome, left ventricular hypertrophy, and arrhythmias
4. Psychotic disorders
Continued consumption of cocaine can cause the appearance of psychotic disorders in the long term: schizophrenia, paranoid ideas of persecution or grandeur, auditory hallucinations, etc.
This appearance of psychological disorders is due to continued damage that long-term cocaine use exerts on certain structures of the human brain whose consequences are truly devastating, since they completely change the personality of those who introduce the drug into their body regularly.
5. Respiratory disorders and damage to the respiratory system
The consumption of cocaine through the nose is one of the most widespread in the world, and this practice has a direct effect on the health of the person and the correct functioning of their body.
Some of the main problems we find with nasal consumption are loss of smell, nosebleeds, hoarseness, swallowing problems, irritation of the nasal passages and, in more serious cases, nasal septum perforation
Respiratory disorders are also common, especially in nasal or inhaled consumption, cases in which the risk of contracting respiratory diseases of all types increases.
The main respiratory disorders associated with long-term cocaine use are pneumonia, generalized cough, asthma and difficulties breathing normally.
6. Emotional disturbances
There are many emotional alterations that people who consume this drug for a long time can suffer, since cocaine has a destructive effect on both the person’s psyche and their physical health.
The main psychological or emotional alterations of continued cocaine use are an increased risk of developing depression, anxiety, or sudden mood swings
In addition to that, symptoms such as irritability and even aggressiveness are also common.
7. Menstrual disorders
Continued cocaine use has been shown to cause a wide variety of menstrual disorders in women. Continued cocaine use in women can result in a hormonal alteration that ends up translating into changes in menstrual rhythm.
8. Sexual disorders
Sexual impotence in men is also a classic characteristic of continued cocaine use, especially the appearance of cases of erectile dysfunction or painful erections.
In addition to that, we can also find symptoms such as loss of sexual desire caused by pain or the inability to maintain a continued sexual relationship
Long-term cocaine use also has a devastating effect on the gastrointestinal tract of the person who continues to use cocaine.
Among the main gastrointestinal disorders that affect the health of the individual we can find digestive bleeding, hollow viscus perforation, and ischemic colitis.
10. Increased risk of contracting diseases
As in most chemical addictions, continued cocaine use also exposes the person to a greater risk of contracting certain diseases, due to the lifestyle to which people with an addiction are exposed
Some of the most common diseases are usually HIV or Hepatitis (in case of intravenous administration), lung diseases such as pneumonia or severe allergic reactions.
When is it time to go to therapy?
The time to seek professional help for cocaine use is when the use of this drug has become routine. This implies that it is not necessary to wait to be aware that an addiction has developed, since in practice, these types of disorders begin earlier. If cocaine use is not daily but is part of daily life and weekly habits, most likely there is already a problem and that the disease has begun to establish itself and affect the biological and psychological dynamics on which the person functions.
Luckily, through the combination of medical and psychotherapeutic assistance it will be possible to help the person detoxify and adopt strategies for emotional management and maintenance of healthy lifestyle habits and adequate socialization to keep the drug away.
